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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 23:47:37 GMT -5
I'm here standing at the edge,
staring up at where the moon should be...
He wished the clouds would go away. The night was only partly cloudy, with swathes of stars showing through dark patches that did their best to hide them away. Nightpaw sat his silent vigil, watching the tiny pin pricks of light with rapt attention. He had found so many pictures in the stars from his nightly viewings, but he couldn't see any of them with the clouds covering half of them up. It was perhaps one of the few nonsensical things he enjoyed, now that he was an apprentice, his star pictures. If you looked hard enough, they made shapes that vaguely resembled things. He had found himself a lion, a mouse, a tiger, a hawk or maybe it was an eagle... it could be any sort of large bird, really.
He was always looking for more, new pictures to add to his collection. It felt like an activity he could share with his mother. She was up there somewhere, after all. He could pretend she had hidden the pictures up there for him to find, even though he knew it was silly to think that. It didn't really make any sense, but he liked the way the thought made him feel, so he allowed himself to think it from time to time. Bluejay said his mother had enjoyed the night far better than the day, due to the sun causing her pain because of her condition. And also because it reminded her of her father, Nighthawk, the cat he was named after. He supposed Nighthawk was up there with her. Maybe they were looking down at him even as he looked up, searching for them.
He wondered what he looked like from up there. Did the cats still alive look like specks of light to the cats in StarClan when they looked down? His tail flicked in brief frustration as he realized that question would not be answered until he joined StarClan himself and found out. No living cat could possibly answer it for him. Nothing annoyed him more than being unable to find an answer to a question. His ears perked, wondering if Bluejay could ask StarClan for him next time she went to the Moon Tree. Maybe she could even ask Pinkcloud herself. He could find out if she saw him at night, looking for her, or if he looked no more unique to her amongst his Clanmates than any of the stars in the sky did to him.
Granted there were a few stars that were a bit brighter, a few that were a bit dimmer, but for the most part, they were all the same. He supposed the really bright ones must be past leaders, shining with all their nine lives. He wasn't so sure about the dim ones. Maybe they were just kits that had died, kits that had barely lived and didn't have a lot of life to shine down. Kits, and maybe apprentices too. If he died right now, would his star be dim? He had barely done anything with his life, after all. He caught a glimpse of the tiger stars as the clouds shifted, picking out the stripes in its pelt before another cloud covered it again. He wished the clouds would go away.
No regret 'cause I got nothing to lose,
so I'm gonna live my life as I choose, until I fall.
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| We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Aug 22, 2016 9:15:44 GMT -5
i wish everyone was loved tonight and somehow stop this endless fight He wasn’t sure what had brought on the sudden urge to watch the stars, but once the idea had taken root in his mind, he had found it impossible to shake. It had sprouted and grown, and as a result, he now found himself exiting the warrior’s den in the darkness, still a little sleepy but more awake than he ought to be so late at night. In the morning, the warrior knew he would likely regret his decision, but it had been so long since he had properly watched the night sky. Without the relentless sun beating down on it, the nighttime air was cool and refreshing, and out of habit, he cast a glance around the camp clearing. As expected, it was empty, though there was one figure off to the side who caught his attention. Nearly lost in the shadows, the black feline’s silhouette was barely visible, and it wasn’t until he drew closer that Gorsetail recognized him as Nightpaw.
His throat tightened.
It was one of his regrets that he was not as close to his former apprentice’s son as he might have liked. Though he could not place his paw on it, something had always seemed off about Pinkcloud’s and Magpiewing’s romance, and he had never really trusted the other warrior. But the young she-cat had been happy, and that was all that really mattered. He had buried his misgivings and congratulated them and hoped everything worked out for the better – then Nightpaw had been born, sickly and weak, and mere days after that, his mother was gone. Wrapped up in his own grief, Gorsetail could not bring himself to even think of his former apprentice, let alone go see her kit, and before he knew it, little Nightkit had become an apprentice. His childhood should have been a happy occasion and not that of a near-orphan, with a dead mother and a father who might as well have joined her in StarClan. Lionstar had told him not long ago that he was to take over the training of this young tom. Perhaps this would be his chance to start making amends.
Padding over to his clan mate, the tabby warrior quietly asked, ”Mind if I join you, Nightpaw?” If his presence was unwanted, then he would simply leave. The apprentice had been here first; Gorsetail could find somewhere else to watch the night sky. just a chance that maybe we'll find better days |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 19:15:08 GMT -5
I'm here standing at the edge,
staring up at where the moon should be...
Nightpaw's ears twitched toward the light sound of approaching pawsteps, but he did not take his eyes from the sky until the cat stopped beside him and spoke. His bright green gaze flicked to Gorsetail for only a heartbeat before shifting back to the sky, “I don't mind.” He didn't often have company for his nighttime vigils. Actually he never had company. He was glad Gorsetail had not told him to return to his nest; most cats that found him out at this time of night had only that to say before chasing him back to the apprentice's den. He would go if he was told, but until then, he would much rather stay with the stars.
He let a silence stretch between them for a time before his previous question came back to him. Surely there was no way Gorsetail could know the answer, but he could at least get the older tom's opinion. Without moving his gaze from the sky, he asked, “What do you think we look like to them?” He waited a moment, but then decided maybe he would clarify, “To StarClan, I mean. They look like specks of light to us, so I thought maybe we looked like light specks to them too. Or do you think we don't get to shine until we die? But if we don't shine, how do they see us in the dark?” He finally looked over at Gorsetail, eager to hear his answers.
He didn't know Gorsetail very well. Bluejay had told him that Gorsetail had been his mother's mentor, he had made her a warrior. He had been interested in the tom at first, because of his connection to his mother, but when it didn't seem like Gorsetail had much of an interest in him, he had let it go. Nightpaw had never been one to initiate contact with others, so when Gorsetail hadn't done it himself, he had put his mother's mentor out of his mind, much like he had done with his father. He had no interest in chasing cats around that didn't want him there. But maybe he had misjudged Gorsetail's apparent disinterest. He took into account that maybe Gorsetail was like him, and didn't initiate interaction very often. Bluejay had only good things to say about the tom, but Bluejay never seemed to say anything bad about any cat.
No regret 'cause I got nothing to lose,
so I'm gonna live my life as I choose, until I fall.
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| We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Aug 22, 2016 20:04:27 GMT -5
i wish everyone was loved tonight and somehow stop this endless fight The small part of him that had been concerned that Nightpaw might prefer his solitude – or perhaps simply not want him around – breathed a soft sigh of relief when the apprentice seemed willing enough to have the company. With a small smile ghosting across his lips, the warrior moved to sit beside the apprentice, his striped tail curling neatly around striped paws as he cast his gaze upward for the first time that night. Much to his disappointment, a blanket of clouds covered most of the sky, but as he kept watching them shift with the night wind, he realized that the brighter stars still managed to shine through. Their resilience, their determination to make their presence known despite the cloud cover threatening to overwhelm them struck him suddenly, and for a long moment, emotion washed over him, followed shortly by a faint sheepishness. He was personifying stars.
A quiet voice broke through the silence and caught his attention. Yellow-green eyes flicked sideways to his companion’s face before returning to the sky as he considered the question. He had never given that aspect of StarClan much consideration, but he was all too willing to explore the new avenue of thought. ”I think we do shine,” He spoke slowly as his ideas took shape. “Everyone has a light in them, but we don’t always get to see it in ourselves or others while we’re alive.” He thought of Pinkcloud. And sometimes, if we’re really lucky, we do. It should have been her sitting here with her son, not him. “When we die,” He managed to carry on, pensive, “When we go to StarClan, maybe that’s when our light shines for everyone, and that’s what we see when we look at the stars.” Falling silent for a moment, he watched the clouds reveal new stars. “I think StarClan sees that light in everyone. They’re always here for us, right? To guide us? When we help others, we do it partly because we see the good in them, and maybe StarClan’s the same way.”
The more he thought about it, the more Gorsetail found that he was rather fond of that idea. He liked the thought of the deceased warriors watching little cats of light walk through the forest, offering assistance when necessary, and always ready to welcome them with warm purrs when their time came. All those stars belonged to those whom they had loved and lost, and he decided that Pinkcloud, who had shone so brightly in life, must have been one of the most brilliant stars in the night sky. He wondered if he could find her up there – and then he wondered if maybe Nightpaw had been out here wondering the same thing. His attention shifted slightly, and he glanced at his quiet companion. Was the younger tom ever curious about his mother? It was only natural that he had questions about the she-cat who he had never truly known… Maybe Gorsetail should offer to answer some.
But then, what if he was wrong? What if Nightpaw was only admiring the stars because they were beautiful (and they were)? What if he wouldn’t appreciate his offer about Pinkcloud? The warrior wished he knew the apprentice better, wished he had enough courage to ask what he wanted. But it was hard, and he was afraid of receiving a negative answer. It would hurt a lot if Pinkcloud’s son didn’t care about her.
Instead, he opted to direct their conversation along a safer route, thinking perhaps it would be better to get to know the other cat better before diving into such an emotional conversation. ”Do you come out here often?” He spoke softly. ”It’s very nice.”
just a chance that maybe we'll find better days |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2016 1:09:36 GMT -5
I'm here standing at the edge,
staring up at where the moon should be...
Nightpaw turned back to the sky as Gorsetail gave his answer. He listened quietly as Gorsetail worked though his thoughts on the questions he had posed. It was nice to hear some his own thoughts reflected back at him by a cat older and more experienced in life. It made him feel like maybe his ideas weren't so kittish after all, which was something he had been feeling a lot lately. Sometimes all his speculating about these things started to seem pointless, like the silly dreams kits had, and he wasn't sure he should pursue them anymore. A small smile came to his muzzle as he thought of his mother looking down at him, a tiny light in the forest. He hoped she was watching him. Bluejay assured him she would have loved him with all her heart, had she lived.
He let silence settle between them once again as Gorsetail finished his answers, searching for his mother's star in the holes in the clouds that allowed the night sky to show through. He wished there was a way to know which one it was. He hoped it was in the tiger picture, that one was his favorite. But the clouds were covering his tiger now, and he frowned slightly as he looked at the spot where it should be. Then again, maybe only cats with the name Tiger made up his tiger picture. That would make sense. Maybe he should look for a cloud shape, perhaps that's where his mother would be.
His ear angled toward Gorsetail as the other tom spoke again, posing his own question. He took a moment to answer, enjoying the quiet and the soft sounds of the night. “Every night,” he mewed at last, his gaze still fixed on the sky. “It is nice...,” he agreed quietly. Camp was so busy during the day, but the night brought peace to the valley. He glanced over, “But not you. You don't come out during the night very often, I mean.” At least Nightpaw couldn't remember really seeing him out of the warrior's den this late before, but there were some nights he was sent back to his nest earlier than others. He tilted his head, “Couldn't you sleep?”
Nightpaw had been idle the past couple days, with his mentor incapacitated and unable to train him. He had been taking care of his chores, hunting for the elders and changing soiled moss and such, but no cat had invited to him to train with them, and so he had been able to get a lot of sleep in during the past couple days, which left him wide awake for his night vigils. He looked out over the dark forest, “Sometimes I feel like I should have been born in NightClan. Some of the other apprentices said NightClan stalks around in the dark at night and eat any cat that dares set foot in their territory.”
His tail flicked dismissively, for his peers were always making up stupid stories, trying to scare or impress each other. He didn't believe NightClan ate cats anymore than TreeClan ate cats, but he wasn't so sure about the stalking around at night thing. They were called NightClan, after all. “I think it would be nice... to hunt and train at night, with the stars watching over you.” The day hid the stars. He didn't quite understand that. He looked at Gorsetail again, “Why can't we see the stars all the time?” He missed them during the day. He felt safer at night, with the stars shining, a constant reminder that his mother was watching him, that he wasn't alone no matter how alone he felt. There too many stars in the sky to count, all of them warriors watching over him. But in the day, there was nothing, not the slightest sign of the stars. It was unnerving.
No regret 'cause I got nothing to lose,
so I'm gonna live my life as I choose, until I fall.
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| We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Aug 31, 2016 20:33:38 GMT -5
i wish everyone was loved tonight and somehow stop this endless fight Every night? He cast a glance in the apprentice’s direction, surprised but also entirely able to believe the new piece of information. Most cats had an air of drowsiness when they woke up this late at night, while others also seemed a little unnerved by the darkness. Nightpaw, however, seemed right at home with his gaze directed toward the stars. The warrior flicked his tail. ”I just felt like seeing the stars,” Gorsetail answered honestly, voice quiet. Although he had made his way outside and found pleasant company, he still could not explain where the sudden urge had driven him from his nest had come from, but he was disinclined to return. The night had a peacefulness that got lost during the chaos of the day. He liked it. Nightpaw spoke again, breaking the easy silence that had fallen between them once more. That was something else he appreciated: in a clan where so many seemed inclined to fill the quiet with words, it was refreshing to find another cat who understood the value of silence. He and Nightpaw had that in common.
The apprentice spoke of NightClan and their nighttime habits, and Gorsetail found himself considering his companion’s words. An answer to his question came surprisingly easy. “Sometimes, when our world falls apart around us,” He responded thoughtfully, “We feel like we’re alone and have been abandoned by those who are supposed to watch over us.” Memories of those horrible days during leaf-bare returned, and the pain they caused haunted his words. “But StarClan is always there, and they’ll help lead us through. I think we can’t see the stars during the day because they want to remind us that even if it feels like we’re alone, they’ll always come back. StarClan – and our loved ones – always be there.” I hope you’ll never have to experience such loss, Nightpaw, he thought, even though he knew the younger tom was already more alone than most of the cats in his clan.
But he wasn’t as alone as he was a few days ago – not anymore. ”Nightpaw,” The warrior started, turning to look at the other tom. ”Since Whiteclaw is still recovering from his injuries, Lionstar asked me to take over your training.” His heart jumped to his throat. What if the apprentice was disappointed by this turn of events? They barely knew each other, but his dissatisfaction would hurt more than Gorsetail cared to admit. The tabby cat felt a little awkward. He had no idea what Nightpaw’s relationship with his previous mentor had been like, and he didn’t want to make it seem like he was trying to take the other warrior’s place because he most certainly was not. But he did want to use this opportunity to get to know Pinkcloud’s son a little better. ”You just said you were interested in training at night, and I was thinking – maybe – if you don’t mind, we could start now.”
It would be a new experience, and Gorsetail was surprised to find that he was quietly hoping Nightpaw would agree to it. The night was still young, and he wasn’t ready to go back to sleep just yet.
just a chance that maybe we'll find better days |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2016 23:50:09 GMT -5
I'm here standing at the edge,
staring up at where the moon should be...
A light purr sounded deep in his throat, barely audible, at Gorsetail's reason for being awake. He thought too many cats took the stars for granted. It was nice that Gorsetail seemed to have an appreciation for them. He found his tiger in the stars as the clouds parted around it and a soft smile settled on his muzzle. One of the stars seemed brighter than normal, but he was sure his mind was just playing tricks on him now that he had gotten the idea into his head that mother's star might be there. He could pretend it was, he supposed. It wasn't like he would ever know the truth, until the joined her in StarClan himself. It didn't hurt to pretend it was her. His gaze settled intensely on the star in one of the tiger's stripes that had drawn his eye, burning its placement into his memory.
Maybe it was really her. It wasn't in a very easy to remember place, like the eye or the tip of the tail, or even one of the points of the claws. It was just toward the middle of one of the many stripes, easy to overlook. If his mind was making things up, he would have put her in an easier to find place. The fluffy tail he had inherited from her curled around his paws, pleased with his conclusion, and that he had found her at last. Then the clouds shifted over the picture once more and she was gone. But that was okay; now that he knew where to look, he could find her again.
He blinked over at his companion as he answered yet another of his questions. It made a lot of sense. Nightpaw found himself feeling a lot better about it, now that he had gotten a decent answer. A reminder. From all the stories he had heard about StarClan, it seemed right. They liked doing things like that. They were subtle, like the light of the stars. Gorsetail continued on a moment later and Nightpaw blinked up at him again. Whiteclaw wasn't going to be his mentor anymore? He glanced back up at the sky, mulling it over. He wasn't particularly close to Whiteclaw. He didn't dislike his mentor, but the other tom didn't seem entirely inclined to put much effort into their relationship beyond seeing him properly trained, which had been fine with Nightpaw. Training him was Whiteclaw's only real obligation as mentor. And if Lionstar had decreed the change then Nightpaw wasn't about to argue about it.
So when Gorsetail suggested a night training sessions, he rose to his paws eagerly, his bright green eyes wide, “Really?” A hint of excitement tinged his normally stoic voice. He had never though he would be able to train at night. It wasn't at all normal for TreeClan cats. He had hoped to spend some time in the forest during the evening hours after he had become a warrior and was allowed to do such things, but he hadn't thought he would get a chance to do so earlier than that. His tail twitched slowly behind him, the only other hint at his excitement as he looked up at Gorsetail hopefully. “What will we do? Will we hunt? I've never caught prey at night before... do prey come out at night? They have to, right, if NightClan hunts at night? Or is that just something the other apprentices say?” The excitement was still clear in his tone, his words spilling out a bit faster, seeking answers with less patience than before.
No regret 'cause I got nothing to lose,
so I'm gonna live my life as I choose, until I fall.
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| We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Sept 12, 2016 21:44:34 GMT -5
i wish everyone was loved tonight and somehow stop this endless fight Relief, warm and soothing, flooded the warrior when a glance to the side told him that Nightpaw didn’t seem too bothered by this development. Though a small part of him knew that there was no logical reason for it, he had not been able to shake the resilient fear that perhaps the younger tom wouldn’t want him as a mentor, and while the lack of (visible) disappointment from his companion had chipped away at it just a little, Gorsetail knew that he still had to prove that he could be a decent mentor for the young tom. He remembered what he had told Lionstar not long ago. I can do it. Slowly his resolve returned, beating back the hesitation, and he wanted to cling to it and never let it go. I can do it. And looking at Nightpaw, he thought that perhaps he really could.
His words seemed to have filled the tom with an eagerness befitting of his age, and it was as if some weight had momentarily slipped from his shoulders. While he was hardly the type of cat who would jump up with joy – neither of them were – the apprentice had clearly been pleasantly surprised by his proposition. That smile and that brightness in his eyes lit up his face entirely, and the sight brought with it a painful fondness. In that moment, he looked so much like Pinkcloud.
Gorsetail felt his own lips curve up to mirror the small smile, and he inclined his head slightly. ”Really,” He confirmed quietly and with a confidence he hoped hid how hesitant he really felt about giving this lesson. Before this season, he had never gone hunting at night. Never before had the heat of the day been so intolerable that it drove him to start out later and stay out beyond the setting of the sun, but even then, because the canopy above had managed to block most of the direct sunlight and keep the forest relatively cool, those unbearably hot days had been few and far between. The warrior was hopeful, however, that he knew enough to at least get started. He hadn’t had the chance to talk with Whiteclaw to figure out how far along they had gotten before the mentor’s injury, but he thought perhaps that reviewing the basics – how to move quietly, how to stay aware of his surroundings, how to change tactics depending on the type of prey – wouldn’t hurt. Gorsetail knew he could do that. Of course, it wouldn’t be the same as during the daytime, but he did have the light of the moon to guide him. And, he thought, perhaps I can learn as much from this experience as Nightpaw.
“I thought we could try our luck at hunting a little tonight,” He explained as he rose to his paws and began to walk toward the camp entrance, pausing for a moment to make sure the black tom stayed by his side. “There will certainly be prey. We know this because owls hunt only at night, and many of them call our forest home.” A brief pause, and then a warm, “Though I’ve also heard that NightClan hunts at night, so there might be some truth to that rumor.” Letting that information sink in, the warrior carefully picked his way down the well-worn path that led into the forest. With Littletimber’s death fresh on his mind, he had no intention of wandering far (indeed, in retrospect, they probably should not have even left camp, but it was too late now – and in any event, he didn’t want to disappoint the young cat by his side after getting him so excited), and he came to a stop in a small clearing lit only by the slivers of moonlight that shone through the gaps in the leaves.
Fur prickling slightly as he cast a silent prayer to StarClan that Demon would not be roaming through the forest tonight, he turned to face Nightpaw. ”How much did you cover with Whiteclaw?” He asked softly, tail tip flicking. Although he was willing to review a little with the apprentice, he didn’t want to waste both their time covering topics that he already knew.
just a chance that maybe we'll find better days |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2016 0:05:07 GMT -5
I'm here standing at the edge,
staring up at where the moon should be...
Gorsetail said they could hunt! He listened to his new mentor's words eagerly, wondering at just how different night hunting would be to hunting during the day. Gorsetail confirmed that there must certainly be night prey, since owls existed. Nightpaw nodded. That made sense. He had forgotten about owls. During his night vigils, he sometimes heard their deep calls in the forest, but he had never actually seen one yet in his short lifetime. He was about to ask if they could hunt an owl, when Gorsetail suggested that NightClan cats DID in fact hunt at night, from what the older tom had heard himself.
The night black tom's claws flexed in barely contained excitement. This was going to be great! Whiteclaw was not quite so patient with his endless curiosity as Gorsetail was proving to be. His previous mentor just didn't seem to care about the answers to the questions he so often posed. Gorsetail had considered all of them carefully and given thoughtful responses that Nightpaw could tell were not meant to coddle or placate. The older tom was genuine in his answers, seeking only to give him a response that he himself believed and that made the most sense. There was little more Nightpaw could ask for when it came to some of the questions that entered his mind and burrowed in like a thorn, to which only finding the answers would grant any relief.
He followed his mentor out of camp, keeping close, but staring about with wide eyes, trying to catch details in the dark, to make sense of the shadows around him that cast the familiar into mystery. His ears twitched and he dragged his bright gaze back to Gorsetail as he asked what Whiteclaw had already taught him. It had been only slightly more than one moon since he began his apprenticeship. While prey scarce in the dry, unyielding greenleaf, Whiteclaw had told him they would focus on hunting, as finding food was a more immediate concern for the Clan. He had touched on the basics of fighting as well, but the vast majority of his time with Whiteclaw had been spent on learning about the different techniques for stalking different prey.
“Mouse feels you, rabbit hears you,” he recited, one of the first lessons any TreeClan apprentice learned when it came to hunting, “Whiteclaw said I had a pretty good crouch, the last time we trained... but I still hold my haunches too high.” He thought about that last training session briefly, recalling how Whiteclaw had pressed his haunches lower to the ground as he'd explained how his spine should be parallel to the ground, not angled toward it as he had been prone to do. It was an unconscious thing, his haunches just sort of... rose on their own as he crept forward. He was trying to be more aware of it, though. It made his steps slightly unbalanced, made them fall heavier, and therefore cause more vibration and more noise, for both mouse to feel and rabbit to hear.
“We were starting on climbing too. I caught my first squirrel,” he stated proudly, remembering how it had nearly gotten away, but had flung himself up the tree after the fluffy tailed creature and manged to get a grip on it, fluff and all, and drag it back to the ground with him. It had been a rather messy catch, but it was only his first and Whiteclaw said squirrels could be tricky. He hadn't caught one since. The question of owls circled back into the fore of his mind then, and so he asked, “Do you think we could catch an owl? How big are they? The queens were always telling stories in the nursery, telling us not to wander out after dark or an owl would scoop us for for a meal. I hear them sometimes, but I've never seen one. Do they really eat kits?”
No regret 'cause I got nothing to lose,
so I'm gonna live my life as I choose, until I fall. Phoenix
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| We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Oct 15, 2016 18:07:02 GMT -5
With a smile on his face, the warrior watched as Nightpaw took in their surroundings with wide eyes and a hushed awe. The forest was different at night, and though the apprentice might have become familiar with the workings of camp after nightfall, actively walking through the trees, becoming a creature of the night, was an entirely different experience. Without the bright sunlight to illuminate their surroundings, the forest took on an air of mystery, and the shadows grew thicker and darker. There was a whole other side to their world that cats outside of NightClan rarely experienced. Nightpaw seemed entranced by it.
Gorsetail’s fond smile grew more encouraging as the apprentice spoke, and he nodded along with the younger tom’s words. Ears flicked at the mention of Whiteclaw. Again, he found himself hoping that the transition between mentors would go smoothly for Nightpaw, for he and the other warrior could have differing opinions. Admittedly, he knew Whiteclaw more by reputation than personal interaction, and while he was loathe to completely disregard the injured tom’s advice, he wanted to wait until he saw Nightpaw’s crouch himself to comment on it. ”And squirrels will see you,” He finished lightly, tail swishing lightly through the air. ”We can work on your crouch, too, but it sounds like you’re off on the right paw.” Something like pride shone in his eyes as Nightpaw announced his success, and the warrior offered his congratulations as well.
The conversation circled back around to owls, and the smile became slightly frozen as his heart stuttered. Catch an owl? He had only seen the large birds of prey once or twice as they swooped in low among the branches, and what he had seen made Gorsetail decide that he would be perfectly content if he never ended up on the receiving end of that set of talons. ”I think we’ll leave owl hunting to the other predators,” He explained calmly, casting a glance toward the sky as if searching for the silent hunter. Only the stars twinkled back at him through the gaps in the leafy canopy. ”Owls are the masters of the night; their wings stretch from—“ With his tail, he gestured to the nearest size comparison, a pair of trees growing fairly close together. ”—here to there. Their talons are larger and as sharp as our claws, and they fly in complete silence.” Green eyes returned to meet Nightpaw’s. ”I haven’t heard of one eating a kit, but it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility.”
An idea struck him. Some other night, perhaps, they could make their way over to the Great Maple and see if they could see an owl soaring by. Nightpaw would like that, he thought. But not tonight – tonight, they were here to hunt. Tail flicking again, Gorsetail focused again on the task before them. ”Can I see your crouch?” He asked. Whiteclaw had likely given him accurate advice, he thought, but it wouldn’t hurt to confirm it for himself. After that, perhaps he could let Nightpaw hunt at will in this general area. Catching prey at night was different than hunting during the day, but practice made perfect.
@zen
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 22:41:27 GMT -5
How can you learn what's never shown?
Yeah, you stand here on your own.
They don't know me 'cause I'm not here.
Nightpaw's ears flicked back in a brief moment of disappointment as Gorsetail shot down his idea about hunting owls, but he paid rapt attention to his description of the creatures and understood his reasoning. He thought of the stories he'd heard the elders tell of mountain cats taking down hawks and eagles together in big groups, and wondered if they could do that with an owl maybe.... But it was just him and Gorsetail right now, hardly the big group needed to take down a large bird.
His whiskers twitched with amusement as Gorsetail asked to see his crouch, “Will you be able to see it?” The forest was dark, with the leaf cover above blocking out most of the light the stars and moon would otherwise provide, and he was a black cat. He wasn't sure how accurately Gorsetail would be able to judge his stance, but he slipped into it anyway, placing his paws carefully and lowering hos body closer to the forest floor. His belly fur just barely kept above brushing the ground and he was mindful of his haunches, keeping his tail still and low. It was all well and fine until he stalked forward a few paces, his hind quarters rising slowly but surely with each step.
He came to a stop and rose, turning to look at his new mentor with bright green eyes before padding back over, “So, did you see?” His whiskers twitched again, “Or should I show you again tomorrow?” His ears flicked back, thinking about tomorrow. Hopefully they wouldn't train until later in the day. Whiteclaw was always waking him first thing in the morning for training unless he was assigned to the dawn patrol without him. But then, Whiteclaw never joined him on a night hunt either. Surely Gorsetail would be just as tired as he was tomorrow, and more willing to put off training until later in the day.
Casting a green gaze around the darkened trees once more, he began to wonder just how this hunting trip would go. Questions turned over in his mind and he fixed Gorsetail with his curious gaze again, “Do you know what sort prey comes out at night? What do you think we'll be able to catch?” He knew owls came out at night, but wasn't really sure about any other animals. His ears pricked, alert as he listening for any tell tales noises around them.
And I want a moment to be real,
wanna touch things I don't feel,
wanna hold on and feel I belong. Phoenix
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| We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Nov 4, 2016 23:26:59 GMT -5
Moments after he had spoken and right when Nightpaw asked his first question, Gorsetail realized his mistake and felt his face heat up with embarrassment. Accustomed as he was to having the sun light up the sky when he was training, he had spoken the words without a second thought, not quite connecting the fact that he could barely see Nightpaw in front of him with the fact that he would barely be able to see his hunting crouch, let alone analyze the way he had intended. Someone, somewhere up in StarClan, (probably Pinkcloud), was watching them at this very moment and likely laughing at his first attempt at mentoring the young cat. Tail flicking, he coughed and cleared his throat, just catching the movement in the darkness as Nightpaw fell into his hunting crouch for a moment before standing up again. “Ahh yes,” The warrior corrected himself somewhat sheepishly, willing the heat warming his face to vanish. “Perhaps you should show me again tomorrow, when I can really see you.” With exhaustion from this past day’s duties starting to weigh down his eyelids, he did not think that they would be out very long in the dark, but he knew that by the time both of them rose from their nests in the morning, the sun would be high in the sky. He should have no trouble seeing his new apprentice then.
Given that he could not, at the moment, effectively judge for himself where Nightpaw stood in regards to his hunting ability, Gorsetail figured that the only thing left to do was to actually hunt and see what happened. Opening his mouth, he was about to suggest that they do just that when the younger tom pinned him again with bright green eyes, curiosity swimming in their depths. What would they see? “Well, a lot of rodents and smaller animals come out at night,” He offered thoughtfully, trying to remember what he had seen the past few times he had been out past sunset. “Bats and owls are out there, but we won’t be able to catch either of those. Why don’t we head out and see for ourselves? If we come across some prey, then go ahead and see if you can catch it.”
Arbitrarily, he picked a direction again and began walking on silent paws. They had barely made it a few tail-lengths, however, when a noise from the side had him swiveling his head around to peer into the undergrowth. The bushes rustled for a moment before a creature with a back covered in pointed spines emerged from the shadows. Gorsetail watched as it dark, beady eyes stared at them before a moment before it seemed to realize that they were intelligent enough to not attack it – though perhaps he ought to say something to Nightpaw before his apprentice’s curiosity resulted in a trip to wake Bluejay, just to make sure – and walked with notable confidence across the path. “That’s a porcupine,” He explained quietly, pre-emptively answering the question he knew would be on the tip of the younger tom’s tongue. “Watch those spines. They can get nasty.”
@zen
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